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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. track — to keep track
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bank — for money
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bark — to shout
  9. roll — a list
  10. band — a ring
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. track — a song
  13. roll — a cake
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. band — a music group
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bank — for money
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bank — of a river
  21. tube — the underground
  22. track — a path
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bark — a dog's sound

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com